3 Things to help you Enjoy Easter on a budget
Easter is a very special Christian holiday that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The festivities take place three days after his crucifixion on Good Friday. The main reason Christians celebrate is this was a symbol of God’s victory over sin and death by Jesus Christ paying for the sins of all the people on earth by dying on the cross and then rising again after 3 days in the tomb. Ways it is acknowledged at least here in the United States include church services, candlelight services to represent Jesus being the light of the world, family meals with special dishes like hot cross buns, symbols of new life like eggs, egg hunts and a variety of other ways to entertain each other.
Mark 16:1-7 “Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside. When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.”
This passage is the reason for the celebration. Tip number one is to keep that reason at the heart of your celebration whether you are following a budget or not. When you focus on why we are actually celebrating a Christian holiday it takes the focus off the worldly pressure and helps you realign with your values and beliefs. A fun way to bring this into the celebration that can fit in almost any budget is something I did with my kids when they were little. When I asked what my daughter’s favorite parts of Easter was when she was little, this was top of her list. I used to leave a few eggs empty for the egg hunt. When the kids would find the eggs and they would be empty we would talk about how that egg was empty for a reason. It represented the empty tomb because Jesus has risen and is alive. I love that it stuck out to her and the message I was presenting was able to stick with her all these years. I think it’s important to remind our children that these holidays are focused on Jesus and what he did for us rather than fictional worldly things.
Speaking of that the second thing I want to share is don’t let society and family or friends pressure you into traditions you don’t want to do. Yes, I am talking about the Easter Bunny and all his holiday friends. While we did do an egg hunt, I had the hunt focus on the symbol of Jesus’ resurrection and new life rather than buying the big baskets and outrageous amounts of gifts, candy and toys. That meant I was able to honor my beliefs and not feel pressured to spend more money than I had in the budget for the eggs to be filled or the baskets. This can also apply to other traditions that you aren’t interested in too. That includes what you eat, how formal the event is, where you celebrate, what time you eat at or any number of other things. You get to set your boundaries with your holiday, and it is okay to say no.
That really is the other big thing that can help you enjoy your Easter. Decide what you want, what your beliefs and values are, what your budget is and boundaries around those things. If you feel stressed out having to travel to go celebrate at someone’s house, don’t go. For that matter if you are expected to host and that doesn’t align with your life, don’t host. Dr. John Delony advises you choose guilt over resentment. When he talks about this it is often about the holidays. He suggests you choose feeling guilty about not attending and having someone be upset you missed out rather than attending and resenting the entire trip, experience or the people there. If you are doing something just because you don’t want to let someone down, but by doing that you aren’t respecting your own boundaries, values or goals, you will most likely not show up as your best self and not enjoy the time spent there anyhow. Then when you get home the relationship is damaged because you resent them. Don’t do this to yourself. Set your boundaries and respect them. It will make the holiday much easier to enjoy.
I am not saying that you have to throw out everything you have ever done to enjoy your Easter, I am simply suggesting that you take time to think about what it is you are celebrating, why you are celebrating, how that reflects your personal values and beliefs and create a more peaceful experience by keeping the things you love and eliminating the things that you don’t. These 3 things can help you enjoy your holiday more and help you stay on budget.
